Natalia Dyer Opened Up About Steve & Nancy’s “Lovely” Stranger Things 4 Dynamic

Spoilers ahead for the Stranger Things Season 4 finale. While there was no shortage of tragedy in the Stranger Things Season 4 finale (RIP, Eddie... and maybe Max?), the new volume did deliver a few moments to smile about — especially if you’re a Stancy shipper.

As you’ll recall from Volume 1, Eddie saw firsthand how much Nancy still cared for Steve when she dove into the Upside Down to save him. “If I were you, I would get her back,” Eddie says in Episode 7. “Because that is as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen.”

Apparently, Steve was pretty touched by Eddie’s advice — because in Volume 2, he acts on it (and it’s beautiful). After telling Nancy that he always dreamed of having a family of six kids, he later fills her in on “the most important part” of that fantasy: Nancy herself. “You’re there,” he says. “You’ve always been there.” Aww...

It almost seems like something might happen between the pair, but they’re interrupted by Robin — and of course, Jonathan’s return at the end of the finale further complicates things. But as Nancy tells her beau, Steve has “actually grown up quite a bit.” Jonathan wonders if their relationship is still OK, and she says yes — but it’s complicated, because “life keeps throwing things in the way of our big plans.”

At this point, what’s the status of the Stranger Things love triangle? As Natalia Dyer, who plays Nancy, recently told Variety, “It’s really tough.”

IRL, the actor is happily coupled with Charlie Heaton, who plays Jonathan — but on screen, she may want something new for Nancy. “It feels like she’s been in a relationship for a while so maybe she needs some self-discovery time ... Whatever happens, I would hope that she does it with integrity,” Dyer said in the July 4 interview. “I personally had some crunchy feelings about how the whole Jonathan thing started sort of behind Steve’s back. I can’t believe she did that. I mean, I can.”

Dyer also acknowledged that “Nancy and Steve have come so far,” and said she’s here for their new dynamic — whatever you call it. “What this season touches on is the fact that these two people do care about each other and that hasn’t gone away,” she said. “What that is and what label you want to put on that, I don’t know, but we see these characters meeting again after growing up and going through life with it. So that was really lovely to play. It was really fun and touching.”

Looking ahead toward the show’s fifth and final season, Dyer said she has “no idea where it’s gonna go, but I do like that they at least still care about each other.”